Sinn Fein warns over powers

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Republicans are involved in talks with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) on the issue but said they will pull Sinn Fein ministers out of government if there is no movement.

Sinn Fein leader in the Irish parliament Caoimhghin O Caolain told supporters at a republican commemoration in Co Cavan that his party's patience should not be tested. "If we are forced to conclude that change will not be forthcoming from the Executive then we will have no option but to pull out our ministers and seek to put pressure where responsibility ultimately lies, which is on the British Government in London," he said.

The power-sharing government in Northern Ireland was established after the St Andrews talks which envisaged transfer of policing powers by May - but unionists ruled this out as being too early.

Sinn Fein first highlighted its growing frustration in June when it seemed poised to derail the election of DUP leader Peter Robinson as Northern Ireland First Minister when he took over from Ian Paisley.

After crisis talks involving Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the Irish government, the DUP and Sinn Fein committed themselves to intensive negotiations.

"There is now widespread and growing concern among republicans at the failure to transfer policing and justice powers from London to Belfast in due time," Mr O Caolain said.

"When Sinn Fein changed our policy on policing in the North, accepting that a new beginning was being made, it was with the prospect that policing and justice powers would be transferred by May of this year. It is now the end of August and we do not even have a date for transfer. This is totally unacceptable."

The DUP and Sinn Fein, the two largest parties in Northern Ireland, dominate the Executive and a number of its meetings have been cancelled as a result of the Sinn Fein/DUP split.

While some progress has been reported on the transfer of policing powers, the issue remains unresolved and the parties are still divided on other matters including the creation of an Irish language act and the future of the Maze prison site.